Alan Pardew says that at times it has felt like the world has been against his Newcastle United team this season.

But after delivering a 1-0 victory against visiting Queens Park Rangers, he hopes that the win over the Loftus Road outfit demonstrates that his Toon team can dig in and fight their way out of the relegation basement battle.

United are now halfway towards the 40-point mark that usually secures Premier League survival.

However, United players will be aiming higher than that in 2013.

Looking back on the win over the R’s, Pardew told the Chronicle: “It was about the result for all of us and all of our fans.

“They can sit down with their Christmas pudding and take a sigh of relief really.

“We have had a run of games and a period where you can think the world is against you.

“We could have thought that on Saturday against QPR.

“But you just need to keep working hard and that’s what the players did.

“The subs obviously made a difference as well and that bodes well for the squad, because everybody contributed. That is important.”

Pardew has urged his side to stop conceding cheap goals, and they responded against QPR by snuffing out the men from London. “We said last week about the resilience of the team,” he added.

“And that was the difference for us, we had a real resilience and organisation that probably won us the game.”

Saturday’s clean sheet was also just the Magpies’ third of the season.

Asked if it would make a difference psychologically, Pardew quipped: “Yes, especially when you are going to Old Trafford next that does help!”